Correlation of cytology to histology in a case of canine granulomatous colitis in a Boxer dog

A 2-year-old castrated male mixed breed dog presented to the North Carolina State Veterinary Teaching Hospital for chronic diarrhea with hematochezia and weight loss. Cytology performed on a rectal scraping revealed macrophages containing magenta, light pink, and variably blue granular inclusions, and phagocytosed material concerning for infectious organisms. Histopathology was consistent with granulomatous colitis and identified intra-histiocytic bacterial organisms, confirmed by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH)-tissue culture-confirmed Escherichia coli. Based on these findings, a diagnosis of granulomatous colitis was made. The patient was successfully treated with oral enrofloxacin, and near-complete remission of signs was achieved within 6 weeks. This report describes a case of granulomatous colitis in a mixed breed dog, and is the first published description of the cytologic features of this uncommon disease, offering a valuable cytologic-histologic correlation. In this case, the cytology was helpful in identifying features consistent with granulomatous colitis and prioritizing the differential diagnoses and diagnostic plan.

Lymphoid leukemia in five bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps)

CASE DESCRIPTION

2 male and 3 female adult bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) were evaluated at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine's Exotic Animal Medicine Service between September 2018 and October 2019 because of severe lymphocytosis.

CLINICAL FINDINGS

All 5 bearded dragons had nonspecific clinical signs, including lethargy, poor appetite, ocular discharge, and weight loss. Clinicopathologic testing revealed extremely high lymphocyte counts with morphological findings consistent with lymphocytic leukemia.

TREATMENT AND OUTCOME

All 5 patients were treated with lomustine, prednisolone, and antimicrobials. In addition, 1 or 2 doses of L-asparaginase were administered when the drug was available. Partial remission was achieved in all 5 patients. One patient, after disease progression was documented, was treated with cyclophosphamide and achieved a second partial remission. One of the 5 patients was still alive and continuing to receive chemotherapy at the time of final follow-up 244 days after the initial diagnosis. Survival times (ie, times from initial diagnosis to euthanasia) for the other 4 patients were 57, 157, 330, and 416 days.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The present report represented the first description of lomustine as a primary chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of lymphocytic leukemia in bearded dragons and provided information on response to treatment, adverse effects, and survival times.

Modification of neutron-induced hematopoietic effects by chemical radioprotectors

Nine drugs, WR-347, WR-1065, WR-2529, WR-2721, WR-3689, WR-44923, WR-151327, WR-109342, and WR-168643, were assayed for intraperitoneal pharmacological toxicity, hematopoietic lethality, and spleen stem cell survival in C57/Bl mice in conjunction with whole-body fission neutron irradiation. In addition, WR-3689, WR-109342, and WR-168643 were used with per os administration to determine hematopoietic lethality. Drug toxicities after intraperitoneal administration, as determined by LD50's, ranged from 37 mg/Kg for WR-109342 to 2901 mg/Kg for WR-2529. Following oral administration drug toxicities ranged from 58 mg/Kg (WR-109342) to 1816 mg/Kg (WR-3689). Dose modification factors as determined by LD50(30)'s following intraperitoneal administration ranged from 1.08 for WR-347 to 1.49 for WR-2529. Of the drugs orally administered, WR-168643 was the best protector with a DMF of 1.51. Spleen stem cell survival, which was performed only after intraperitoneal drug administration, provided no significant differences in dose modification factors.

Personnel dosimetry intercomparison studies at the Health Physics Research Reactor: a summary (1974-80)

Six personnel dosimetry intercomparison studies using the Health Physics Research Reactor at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory were conducted between 1974 and 1980. These studies allowed participants to test their neutron and gamma-ray dosimeters under a variety of mixed-field spectral conditions and to compare their results with those of others making measurements under identical conditions. Fifty-eight participant organizations, about half of which participated in more than one study, made approx. 2000 measurements of the neutron and gamma-dose-equivalent. Dose equivalents in the 0.1-12 mSv (i.e. 10-1200 mrem) range were determined for five different shielded reactor spectra using three basic types of dosimeters (thermoluminescent albedo, nuclear emulsion film and track etch) for neutron measurements and two basic types (film and thermoluminescent dosimeters) for the gamma-measurements. The data from the six studies are summarized, analyzed and explained. Intercomparison of the participants' results and consideration of reference dosimetry allows several conclusions to be made relative to the status of and trends in personnel neutron and gamma-ray dosimetry.